The Paths We Don't Walk
by 4gether2ever
Summary: Oneshot, Complete People make countless choices in their lives, and sometimes, others make choices for them. A fork in the road creates another choice, one of gigantic magnitude. Which does someone take?


Disclaimer: Um, does someone else want to field this one? No takers huh? Fine, I guess I know how you feel… ok, here we go unfortunately, the Harry Potter series and its characters aren't mine. If you recognize it from the books, then it's JKR's. The rest is from… somewhere? Meh, sometimes I wonder about myself… but then I either get distracted –usually by something completely uninteresting– and forget, or just accept myself until I wonder again…

**A/N:** Most of this one-shot is dialogue, so there're only like, three lines of narrative.

**The Paths We Don't Walk**

"This is it."

"Yes." It had not been a question, as all parties knew quite well. Still, something with such a magnitude of importance seemed to demand a reply, however small.

"He must choose. There are two choices, two possible outcomes, and only one person to do the deciding."

"You'd think he'd be frightened, the amount of pressure he must now bear."

"He has always bore more than anyone was meant to. He should be used to it by now."

"Used to it? That is not something _anyone_ should ever have to get used to."

"And yet…" The sentiment was left there, hanging in the air, greeted only by silence.

"And so we go!"

"Indeed." They turned to watch.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, witches and wizards alike, I call you here today so that you might hear and bear witness to something that will remain in our memories for years to come. Another Dark Lord has been fought and defeated, and now our futures lie with someone else. A great choice will be made today, that will decide the future of our world. And only one person has the honourable burden of making that choice. Our fates will be chosen by him, as we tried before, to choose his. I give you, your future saviour and/or enslaver." 

The speaker resumed his place to the side of the podium to let the next one forward. The few people having whispered conversations quieted instantly, all eyes trained on the lone person coming toward them, breaths held as they stared up at him in expectation. The figure walked behind the podium and regarded the audience with piercing eyes in silence for a few moments.

"Choices." His voice resounded in the air, echoing the one word across the sea of faces. "We all have choices, some that are of minimal importance, some of the utmost, and some that do not seem quite so important until they influence the future in ways that even true Seers can't predict. But sometimes, even when you think that you are making your own choices, you aren't. Sometimes, you are manipulated, all intentions aside."

"This choice is the ultimate decision between good and evil. Both of which, are four-letter words that attempt to describe that which requires so much more. But they are just words, meaningless had we not given them the power they now possess. Who decided where the line is drawn? Who decided there was even a good or evil, light or darkness? I find myself at a crossroads, but both paths lead to hurt, heartache and death for one side."

"So I _refuse_. I refuse to make this choice. I choose neither side. I will not do this for you. Because you are behind me, I can't walk back, but what is in front of me is even less appealing. So I will wait, and see which paths _you_ decide to take. I will not make this decision myself."

Amid the stunned silence, the figure stepped down from his place, and sat in the vacant seat he had been residing in prior to his speech. Then, suddenly, the silence was broken in an uproar of conflicting shouts. Some screamed of the unfairness, some cheered in wholehearted approval, but most of all, people talked –in various tones– about the surprising turn of events.

* * *

"Well. That was certainly unexpected." 

"Was it really? After everything, was it really so hard to realize that he thinks differently, that he would come up with new solutions."

"So you think he was right to do what he did, leaving the future of their world in their hands?"

"Of course he was right. They should not have given him that responsibility, despite the fact that they may have seen it as an honour, deciding what happens to the world and all, –besides the fact that he could have taken it oven if he had _really_ tried."

"But think about it. He was the only person they felt could make such a choice. This is the fate of the entire world and those in it. You can't even try to convince us that they are all capable of such a task."

"Perhaps, but neither is he. It is not his place to decide, try as they might to pretend it is. Try as they might to force it upon him."

"He was right. That is all there is to it. Sometimes the best path to take is to not take one at all. Sometimes the best paths are the ones that we don't walk."

**A/N:** Just a one-shot because there's this quote that I heard before, (but can't remember exactly) about a knife or something. See, it's about how like, if a knife was coming towards you, which would you catch it by; the handle or the blade. So it's 'bout positive and negative sides right? So I was thinking, what happens if you just, don't choose? If you just lean to the side and let it pass by.

You go ahead and decide who this story is about because I certainly don't know.

Anyways, go do whatever you want now, review, or read my profile, or my other story (or perhaps stories if I have more by then) or go read something entirely different, or get off the computer, or watch TV etc.


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